Tesla Model 3 Performance test driven by Misha Charoudin on the Nurburgring; brakes caught fire, lost power after 1 lap
When your car has the word “Performance” in its model name, you’ll want to test its capabilities. For owners of a Upgraded version of Tesla Model 3 Performance ‘Highland’ from the Czech Republic, the Nurburgring Nordschleife was the track of choice. In this video, Nordschleife regular and racer Misha Charoudin was asked by the owner to test drive the car on the track.
In-car footage of the Model 3 Performance facelift shows Tesla is keeping up with what appears to be a revised BMW M2 F87 in the early stages of the race from Hatzenbach to Hocheichen, although the ICE-powered BMW extended the gap in the high-speed sections leading to Flugplatz.
Charoudin commented that he did not think the Model 3 Performance “would be that good off the line, on the track”, and the car reached an indicated speed of 240 km/h through Schwedenkreuz, although when braking from 180 km/h into Aremberg, the brake pedal was observed to become soft.
The brake performance degradation continued in the braking zone immediately after the Fuchsrohre (Fox Hole), where data readings showed the car reaching just over 120 mph before needing to brake hard to wave a yellow flag. Smoke was seen billowing from the Model 3’s brakes shortly afterward.
Charoudin abandoned high-speed driving for the remainder of the lap, even after the yellow flags, as the car’s braking became weaker. Later on the lap around the Pflanzgarten, the Model 3 Performance owner observed 216 kW, compared to the car’s previous maximum of 396 kW, suggesting a drop in power output before completing a lap of the Nordschleife.
Handling is impressive, although the braking equipment on the Tesla Model 3 Performance isn’t quite up to the task on a track like the Nurburgring Nordschleife. In MalaysiaThe 2024 Tesla Model 3 Performance facelift is priced from RM244k. Tesla owners, have you taken your electric cars on a track? If so, how did they perform? Let us know in the comments.
PHOTO GALLERY: Upgraded version of Tesla Model 3 Performance ‘Highland’ 2024 in Malaysia
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